


Safety in Numbers

by Oracle507



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Has Panic Attacks, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Bruises, Bullying, Caring Logic | Logan Sanders, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, POV Logic | Logan Sanders, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29230836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oracle507/pseuds/Oracle507
Summary: Logan knew Virgil would never skip class. He went through life as if his main goal was to be noticed as little as possible. Bad behavior tended to have the exact opposite effect. That was why Logan was so worried when Virgil didn’t show up for their last period.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39
Collections: TSS Fanworks Collective Discord: January Remix Challenge!





	Safety in Numbers

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [holding him tight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24236128) by [amybri2002](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amybri2002/pseuds/amybri2002). 
  * In response to a prompt by [amybri2002](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amybri2002/pseuds/amybri2002) in the [tss_fanworks_collective_discord_january_remix_challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tss_fanworks_collective_discord_january_remix_challenge) collection. 



> TW: Bullying, panic attacks, bruises.  
> This was a very fun, possibly self-indulgent remix to write. I hope people like it as much as I liked writing it.

Virgil was never the best student. He would always get distracted during class, staring out the window or at other classmates. Even so, Logan knew he would never skip class. Virgil went through life as if his main goal was to be noticed as little as possible. Bad behavior tended to have the exact opposite effect.

That was why Logan was so worried when Virgil didn’t show up for their last period. He was at school earlier; he had class with Patton earlier and only missed lunch with them to study in the library. Other students muttered to each other about Virgil’s disappearance. Logan even heard someone behind him quietly joke about it. “Bet he stubbed a toe and went crying to his mommy. Fucking crybaby.”

Logan gritted his teeth, intent on focusing on today’s lesson despite his rising anger. A week after Virgil first transferred here, he had a panic attack during this period. Logan couldn’t remember the trigger, or if there even was one, but the image of Virgil struggling to breath as he tried to get out of the classroom was burned into his memory. Logan had rushed to assist him, helping him get outside and staying with him until he calmed down. Ever since this incident, Virgil had the reputation of a ‘crybaby’. At least this incident had a brightside. It was the start of his friendship with Virgil.

When class finished early, Logan called Virgil. Three missed calls later, he texted Patton and Roman. “Virgil missed last period. Do you know what happened?” They both replied that they had no idea where Virgil went, so they each assigned themselves an area of the school to search. Roman took outside, Patton took floor one, and Logan floor two.

As he looked, he saw various people hanging out in the hallways. He considered asking for help, but many of them weren’t in their year. The only people he recognized were some kids that usually sat in the back of the class and goofed off. They wouldn’t be of any use either.

He mentally chastised himself when he walked past the bathrooms. How had he not thought to check there first? He opened the door. The sound of harsh breathing came from the largest stall. Logan could see someone sitting on the ground with his knees against his chest. He recognized the distinctive shoes and jacket.

After texting the others to let them know Virgil had been found, he knocked on the stall door. Virgil flinched. “It’s okay. It’s me,” Logan said.

“L… Logan?” His voice came out barely about a whisper.

“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. Can you open the door?” A whimper came from the other side of the door. “It’s alright. I know you can’t reach it from there. Just…” The thought of Virgil sitting there sad and alone for at least the past hour was enough to push Logan past his initial reluctance and crawl under the door.

He opened the door before looking Virgil over. His hood was up so Logan couldn’t see his face well, but it was hard to miss the dark, angry bruise on his cheek. Logan’s muscles tensed. He took a deep breath to ensure he didn’t take his anger out on Virgil before asking, “Do you need to go to the nurse?” Virgil frantically shook his head. “Are you sure? You’re hurt and-”

“No!” Virgil choked out.

“Okay. That’s okay.”  _ Stop being practical here. Comfort before problem solving. _ “Would you like a hug?” Virgil nodded. Logan pulled him in, letting Virgil rest his head against his chest as he cried.

When they’d first became friends, Virgil told them he’d gone to 5 middle schools and this was his 3rd high school. Logan has always wondered why. Neither of his parents had jobs that would require constantly moving and Virgil even said most of the other schools were located near here. Now, as he hugged Virgil, he realized how Virgil’s shy and awkward demeanor would inhibit his ability to make friends. His anxiety would make him an exceptionally easy target for bullying.

Logan normally prided himself on his logical thinking skills, but now the image it put together made him want to throw up.

Virgil’s tears eventually stopped. He still leaned against Logan, as if desperate for his support. “We need to go,” Logan said. “I’ll stay with you, I promise. We can talk about this later. For now, I need to get you home.”

Virgil shook his head. “Not home.”

“Why…” Logan didn’t finish his question, despite his intense curiosity. In his experience, Virgil’s parents had always been kind and supportive of their son. Perhaps that was a front. Either way, Logan would not force Virgil to go to a place he didn’t want to go. Not in this state. “Will by place be satisfactory? My parents both work until late into the evening, so we will be alone.”

When Virgil nodded, Logan stood up. Virgil was able to stand with Logan's help and the two of them made their way to Logan’s car. Virgil winced occasionally, adding to Logan’s barely contained fury.

* * *

After texting his parents that he was going over to a friend’s house, Virgil fell asleep. Logan wasn’t surprised. Panic attacks were known to take a lot out of him. With that on top of the injuries, it was a miracle he made it as long as he did. The sunlight gave Logan a better view of Virgil’s bruises. The most prominent of them, the ginormous one on his cheek, made Logan tighten his grip on the steering wheel. Still, he forced himself to contain his anger. Virgil could theoretically wake back up at any time and the last thing Logan wanted was for him to get thrown right back into panic. Logan could always punch a wall or scream into a pillow later. Right now, Virgil needed him.

He pulled into his driveway and unbuckled his seatbelt. A small part of him wanted to let Virgil sleep. He was probably strong enough to carry him, and treating his injuries would probably go better if he were asleep. Even so, Logan figured Virgil would probably be feeling embarrassed enough once he’s in control of his emotions again. No need to add being carried like a damsel in distress to that.

Logan lightly nudged him on the shoulder. “We’re here.”

Virgil jolted away. “What’s-” He looked around. “Oh. Right.”

“Stay there. I’ll help you out.” Logan got out of the car and made his way over to Virgil’s side. Virgil had already opened the door.

“I got it.” Virgil winced as he attempted to use the side of the car to pull himself out. Logan fought the urge to assist. While whatever shame Virgil felt over his panic and rescue was wholly illogical, Logan knew that wouldn’t stop Virgil from subjecting himself to it.

The two of them slowly made it inside, Logan following close behind Virgil in case he fell. “I have a first aid kit in the cabinet. You may take a seat on the couch.” He washed his hands before walking over to the cabinet. While there, he took a second to mentally prepare himself. He couldn’t get angry. Not now. Not in front of Virgil.

He returned to the living room and found Virgil with his shirt already off. That would’ve been shocking on it’s own, even without the intense, sporadic bruises. “Woah…”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse.”

The sad part was, Logan believed him. “I have things for the bruising.” He took a seat next to Virgil and began shifting through the kit. Then a thought hit him.

He pulled out his phone and, ignoring the texts and missed calls, googled “how to spot a broken rib.” He scolded himself for not considering the possibility that Virgil might require more serious medical attention. “The main symptom of a bruised/broken rib is intense pain when you breathe,” the article he found said.

“Does it hurt when you breathe?” Logan asked.

Virgil scoffed. “No, I don’t have a broken rib. I’ve gone over this with my dad before. It’s just bruises.”

Logan took a second to acknowledge the further proof that this was a regular occurrence before he nodded. “Very well. Let’s get the bruises treated so you can rest.”

He began treating Virgil’s injuries, doing his best to make the experience as painless as possible. Virgil hardly even flinched. That either meant Logan had done a very good job, or Virgil was so used to this the pain barely registered. Once his chest was taken care of, Virgil hurried to put his loose shirt back on.

“I’ve been bullied a lot,” Virgil said as Logan treated his cheek.. “You’re smart, you’ve probably put a lot of stuff together. I don’t even know why I’m saying this.”

“You don’t need to talk to me if you aren’t feeling up to it, but feel free if you want to.”

Virgil nodded. “That’s why I had to change schools so much. No matter how much I try, people always target me and I get… I freak out. I can’t do anything.”

“Is that what happened today?”

“Yeah.”

Logan finished up with his cheek and put the supplies down on the table. “Who was it?”

“I’m not turning them in.”

_ Them _ . “Why not? They hurt you.”

“People always hurt me.”

“They shouldn’t and they deserve to be punished for it.”

“I know, but that doesn’t change anything!” Virgil took a second to calm down. “Sorry, I know you’re trying to help. It’s just… I don’t want to leave again. Mom and Dad will make me leave if they find out.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to go home?” Virgil nodded. “Ah, that is… certainly a relief.”

“Why?”

“I thought that maybe you weren’t safe there.”

“What? No, I love Mom and Dad. They’ve helped me a lot. They’d never hurt me.”

“I believe you. It’s just… well, after today I’d hope you’d understand why I feel rather protective.”

“Yeah. They’re protective too and that’s why they’d make me leave. But I can’t. I can’t leave you guys. I’m not used to having people around at school that like me. That look out for me and care that this happens. I won’t let them take that away. I’m fine with you knowing, Roman and Pat, too. Just not them. Not people that can make me leave.”

Logan’s first instinct was to say no. Point out that this is letting the people that hurt him get away with it. Even so, Logan understood why Virgil felt the way he did. None of the justice served against the bullies stopped the pain or made it so people couldn’t hurt him again. What was the point if the cycle would just repeat again? At least here, Virgil had friends that could help him.

“I won’t tell them, or any teachers, or even ask who did it. I want you to be safe, but I also want to respect your wishes.”

“Thank you.” Virgil yawned.

“Right, you’re probably tired after all of this. You can go ahead and sleep on the couch. My parents won’t be home for another few hours.”

Virgil grabbed a pillow and laid now. “Thanks. Sorry I’ve been kinda pathetic today.”

“Of course you haven’t been pathetic. You’ve been very strong.” He patted Virgil on the shoulder before walking away to give Virgil some privacy.

* * *

Roman and Patton did not take the news well. Logan called Patton the second he got to his room. The two of them had left him a total of 15 missed calls and 53 texts. They’d eventually given up on getting updates and anxiously waited together at Patton’s house. Logan did his best to summarize the events of the past few hours while worrying them as little as possible. He should’ve known that was a lost cause, given Patton’s mom-friend tendencies and Roman’s hero complex. Once Patton was done freaking out and Roman swore to “slay the villains” about 100 times, they both insisted on coming over to Logan’s house to see Virgil.

They accepted the reality that they couldn’t punish the bullies. That didn’t stop them from wanting to stop this from happening in the future. They looked over their schedules and, comparing them to Virgil’s, tried to find a way to make sure Virgil was never alone at school. They couldn’t be with him during every class period, but they could walk him to and from periods he had by himself. Whatever it took to help keep Virgil safe, they would do it.


End file.
